Zinfandel “Old Vine” Sonoma County 2021 – Seghesio

The grapes to produce the Zinfandel “Old Vine” Sonoma County Seghesio began fermenting in small, open-top fermenters with regular punch-downs by hand. After ten days of maceration, the free run juice was then transferred to barrel to complete primary fermentation and undergo malolactic fermentation. The lots were racked twice prior to bottling. The wine was barrel aged for 15 months in a mix of 20% new French oak, 80% neutral French oak and American oak barrels.

Grapes were primarily estate-grown from old head-pruned vineyards in the Dry Creek bench and the cooler southwest Alexander Valley. The average age of the vines is approximately 70 years old. Careful canopy management was employed including green harvest, weak shoot removal and veraison thinning. The older vines’ devigorised root systems produce less, yet more intense fruit, highlighting Zinfandel’s spicy characteristic.

For over a century, the Seghesio family has played an integral role in the evolution of the region’s viticulture. The winery was established in 1895, when Italian immigrant Edoardo Seghesio planted his first Zinfandel vines in what is now Seghesio’s ‘Home Ranch’ vineyard in Alexander Valley. Edoardo and his wife Angela continued growing vines during the Prohibition years, and were the only winery in the region to survive that era. Seghesio’s reputation for world class Zinfandel was cemented under the guidance of third generation Pete Seghesio and his cousin Ted Seghesio in the 1980s. Italian consultant winemaker Alberto Antonini’s influence can be seen in the juicy, approachable style of Zinfandel that has become Seghesio’s hallmark. Seghesio owns 120 hectares of sustainably-farmed vineyards across several renowned appellations in Sonoma, including Dry Creek Valley, Alexander Valley and Russian River Valley.